


Gold Rush

by ElmoIsSatan



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Cowboy AU, Cowboy Dream, Denial of Feelings, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Baggage, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Protective Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap is a third wheel and simultaneously a wingman, Scandal, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28734618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElmoIsSatan/pseuds/ElmoIsSatan
Summary: Dream, a cowboy in the rural south, stays on the outskirts of society with no plan to stop. But falling in love with George, the son of an English aristocrat, was never meant to be part of the plan.-DreamNotFound Cowboy AU
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 94
Kudos: 326





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to the song 'Cowboy Like Me' and wrote this- enjoy the ride :)
> 
> Warning: this story is set in the 1890s so there'll be heavy mentions of societal homophobia.

Uncomfortable, evergreen eyes scanned the masses of old money, searching as he hid from their ghosting looks of judgement.

There Dream stood, pinned to the wall in silent disinterest, having failed miserably to fit in. The fancy, second-hand clothes he’d received from Bad made his skin itch. They were too tight and dressy for his taste.

Dallas’ wealth filled the old ballroom, the sound of chatter and footsteps a gentle song that fought with the piano’s instrumental for dominance. Embellished ensembles covered every figure of elegance, disguising all in a façade of importance. Every corner was filled with glamour and opulence: gilded ceilings, ornate chandeliers and purple draped curtains that fell over the towering casements. The air was hung with a cold yet delicate perfume, diffusing freely from the folded fabrics of the rich people’s suits and gowns. 

Bad had forced him to come, wanting him to have a taste of upper-class society. If it was up to him, he’d much rather have stayed an unknown recluse on the ranch with only the horses and cattle for company.

Luckily for him, he’d successfully warded off all attempts at conversation through feigning a headache and resigning himself to the furthest wall of the room. His golden hair, frustratingly distinct, always left him vulnerable to the gazes of snooping busybodies who wished to claw pathetically in attempt to find any trace of gossip. 

Unluckily for them, he had no interest in scandalous involvements.

The monotonous night dragged on, regret tiring his bones as he fought a yawn that bubbled in the back of his throat. He should’ve never agreed to accompany Sapnap to this forgettable occasion, his best friend had abandoned him within the few minutes of their arrival anyway.

Dream scrunched his nose, raking his hand through his fair hair absentmindedly. The gel in his hair was uncomfortably sticky. Sapnap had forced the tacky substance upon him in an attempt to make him look ‘less rough’, and ‘more proper’. 

His eyes continued to scan the aristocrats who socialised before him, counting down the minutes until he could leave. 

“This is Beethoven, Sonata No.14, right?” 

He quickly turned to the source of the accented voice. His tensed shoulders instantly relaxed when his eyes landed upon the russet-haired boy who stood beside him, looking just as bored as he did. The stranger’s stature was shorter and leaner than Dream’s muscled build, his height only reaching eye level. 

They were clad in a tight, navy waistcoat over a white blouse. Handsome and youthful with porcelain skin and contradictory eyes of deep bronze.

He looked like a prince. 

Pretty.

To maintain his own sanity, he attempted to ignore the feelings of unintelligent infatuation that pierced his chest. It was as if cupid’s bow had been drawn back and accidently shot straight into his heart upon sighting of this boy. Stubbornly, he blamed the intense spike of attraction on the fact that something was finally happening on this otherwise faceless night.

He had to remind himself to keep his hopes low. Appearances were just that— an appearance— especially in such a stuck-up society like the city. They were often misleading. He was probably just another bratty kid, riding on the elegant coat tails of his parent’s wealth.  
In respite of his lowered expectations, he was undeniably intrigued. 

“…I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been into classical music.” Dream replied, his voice cautious yet gentle.

The boy hummed appreciatively in agreement, remaining by his side but turning to the open floor of the room, arms crossed over his chest casually. Dream frowned to himself. He wasn’t used to silences when talking to strangers, especially when said stranger was so lovely looking. Dream had never had something like this happen before, he was a fish out of water, uselessly flailing to upkeep his mask of dignity. His self-trained ettiquite told him to speak and fill the empty gaps of conversation this person refused to supply. 

Frankly, he had no idea what he was doing. He spent his days on the ranch, not in the city, for a reason.

“Your accent, English right? Long way from home.” 

The boy sighed, turning his burnt honey orbs to look at Dream with a repressed weariness. “You have no idea how many times I’ve been told those exact lines.” 

The bluntness of his words forced an involuntary chuckle from between Dream’s lips. 

It was refreshing. 

A small, accomplished smile appeared and disappeared so quickly on the boy’s face that it made the blonde question whether he’d just imagined it. 

“Sorry, I should’ve introduced myself.” The words fell from his tongue with phony elegance. Bad had always lectured him on the faults in his informal language, he’d always used the excuse that when one lived on a ranch he’d never need to speak so precisely. In this moment, he’d been proven wrong. “I’m Dream, and you?” 

He extended his hand cordially, something mirrored by the other. The boy’s hand was delicate, pale. It contrasted greatly against his calloused skin and tan that refused to fade from the hazy days herding cattle. 

“George,” the shorter replied curtly, shaking his hand. His mahogany eyes looked into Dream’s verdant depths, analysing his soul unashamedly. “It’s nice to meet you, Dream.” 

A shy smile formed on Dream’s lips, his cheeks beginning to heat. 

His mind screamed inimitable curses. He couldn’t do this now, it was not the time to be blushing, not in a ballroom full of slanderous snakes. The wooden walls of his defences were turned to ashes, smouldered with the simple gaze of this foreign stranger. 

He should walk away. Find Sapnap, leave this room for good— never to meet eyes with this person again. To stay would only cause him grievous harm. It would mean risking everything he had worked for, a life of peace in the outskirts of society demolished to become a fate of scandal and social exile.

But it was too late. He was intoxicated.

“The pleasure’s all mine.” 

As their hands were released from the tentative handshake, Dream forced his eyes to divert to the side, breaking the heavy eye contact that burned his skin. 

A foreboding feeling spread in his bloodstream, addictive yet haunting. 

The intelligent side of his brain instructed him to excuse himself politely, to leave immediately. He had fulfilled his act of civility, played the role of the respectable gentleman. There was no reason to linger any longer than he had already. The masochistic part of his brain, however, kept his feet firmly planted in place.

In that moment he knew for sure. This stranger, George, would be his fatal flaw.

“I’ve never seen you around, you must be new to Dallas?” Dream continued with genuine interest, trying to distract his mind from the internal storm that was brewing as their eyes clashed again. The breathless feeling returned. He cursed the common etiquette of having to hold eye contact in a conversation. 

“Would that imply you’re someone worth knowing?” George smirked, the question sounding more like a statement as his dark eyes reflected the twinkling light of the chandeliers. He peered up at Dream expectantly. 

An unspoken challenge.

If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t worth knowing – just a simple cowboy who worked on his parent’s ranch. Definitely not worth a pretty foreigner’s time. But sometimes honesty wasn’t always best for the heart.

“I suppose I am.” He lied, replicating George’s smirk with a teasing tone. “…Though you didn’t answer my question.”

Dream’s heart thudded in his ribcage; it was hard to concentrate.

“I arrived from London a week or so ago, this is the first event I’ve attended…” George paused, his menial smirk dying into an expression of indifference, “and I’m bored.”

There it was again, the candid frankness that made Dream’s smile grow tenfold against his will. “I couldn’t agree more.” 

George raised his eyebrows, seemingly amused. “I could tell. You were standing here, alone and emotionless. I thought I’d join the pity party.”

“So how come you’ve come to Dallas, of all places—” 

The blonde was interrupted by a beckoning shout from the centre of the room, the noise breaking through the clatter of the crowd. They turned in unison, Dream’s eyes landing on a male he vaguely recognised as Alex who had come from over the Southern border a year or so ago. He’d never really gotten to know the rambunctious boy, never thinking it was worth his time—

His thoughts were halted when George began to move from his side and towards the waving Alex. As he moved, he looked over his shoulder at him. 

“And that’s my cue to leave. I’ll see you around sometime, Dream.”

He opened his mouth to reply but floundered, watching George turn back around to walk to Alex who had moved to meet him halfway with a beaming grin. Pathetically, Dream stared as George and Alex gradually moved through the throngs of people, his eyes glued on George’s brown locks with a frown. The elusive pair left, exiting through the main doors without a single look back of hesitance.

Was that it? 

George had disappeared from before him in what felt like a flash of lightning. He felt dazed and cold without that warm, melting gaze, suddenly unsure of what to do with his mind barren of thoughts. A harsh whiplash stabbed him, never having experienced such disorientation on account of a person before. 

The brunette had taken his pride and innocently torn it to shreds with a merciless brutality. 

“Dream?”

He looked up from the floor where his eyes had become unconsciously downcast. Sapnap had appeared in front of him, concern written across his face as his eyebrows knitted together. “You good dude?”

“Yeah… I think so?”

“You don’t sound too sure to me. Shall I go get Bad? Was it that boy who came over to you, did he do something—?”

“No!— no.” Dream interjected a little too hurriedly, smiling weakly at his friend’s concern. He shrugged his shoulders before shaking his head, trying to clear it of the remnants of fog that plagued his thoughts. “I’m fine. Or at least I will be.”

Sapnap didn’t seem too convinced, his face was tilted slightly with a calm look of scepticism. 

Dream had a dreadful suspicion that, once they were totally alone, the black-haired boy would call him out over his oddity. 

“…Okay, good. You just looked a bit… Out of it. People were saying you had a headache so I was worried.” Sapnap muttered, he looked exhausted from a night of endless socialising. 

Alike Dream, Sapnap also held an undeniable preference for the rural isolation of the ranch, though he was more willing to go along with Bad’s hopes of involving them more in the scene of socialites.

“That was just my excuse to avoid people,” Dream said sheepishly, prompting Sapnap to roll his eyes dramatically. “Can we go? I don’t really think there’s anyone or anything worth staying any longer for.”

“Yeah sure. Since you’ve got such a terrible ‘headache’—” Sapnap sarcastically punctuated the word with air quotation marks. “—I suppose we could leave to let you recover with some rest.” This time it was Dream’s turn to roll his eyes, the pair beginning to move towards the main entrance of the ballroom. 

“Wait, should I go tell Bad we’re leaving? I left him quite abruptly when I saw you looking so shell shocked.” Sapnap questioned, pausing his steps. 

Had he really looked shell shocked? He really needed to work on hiding his emotions better, he didn’t know what went wrong. He was usually so good at it…

“Nah, it’s fine, I’m meeting with him tomorrow anyway. I’ll explain what happened.” Dream answered.

“Fair enough.” Sapnap said, his brows still slightly wrinkled in concern. 

As the pair exited the manor, the midsummer’s night breeze jolted them, fresh in contrast to the stuffy air of the ballroom. Their worn oxford boots clicked against the bricked stairs that led to the horseshoe driveway, a carriage awaiting them. 

They couldn’t get in the carriage fast enough, a quick word to the coachman, and they were off home. Finally.

Dream leaned back into the plush crimson seats, closing his eyes and inhaling deliberately. His mind wandered straight to George; the image of the boy branded deeply within his thoughts. 

Sapnap was first to break the tentative silence of the clattering carriage moving steadily through the streets.

“So… What did that guy talk to you about? I’ve never seen him before…” His voice trailed off, mouth scrunching to the side in thought.

The blonde exhaled, opening his eyes to Sapnap’s attentive, calculating stare that tried to decipher his thoughts. Fortunately for him, his practiced mask was back in place, protecting the outside world from his inner dilemmas with a small, convincing smile. 

“He’s from England, only arrived a week ago. He didn’t really say much; was just bored like me.”

“And what did he say that made your expression turn so confused when he left?”

Dream’s tired mind was blank, having no answer that would satisfy Sapnap’s inquisition whilst retaining his own dignity. 

He decided to answer truthfully, he could trust Sapnap with anything. 

“Nothing, honestly… He was just pretty.” 

Sapnap’s eyes widened in surprise, shock registering on his face before he could hide it. “Dream.” He warned, trying to capture the blonde’s guilty eyes.

“I know, I know.” Dream said tightly.

“Yeah...” Sapnap pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down to his lap. “You’d be playing a dangerous game— he’s from a whole other world. It’s not worth it. Just forget about him.”

Easier said than done, Dream’s mind supplied uselessly.

“I will.” He lied, for the second time that night. He turned to peer out the window at the shadowy silhouettes of trees and greenery. 

His pastoral eyes were distant, mind captured by the all-consuming thought of how George had effortlessly robbed him of his breath with a single look. 

He wondered when he’d see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may recognise me from my apocalypse AU 'Requiem', well I've been simultaneously writing this cowboy AU at the same time and I thought it was finally time to post it :)
> 
> I hope people enjoy, I don't know if I'll continue this but we shall see...


	2. Chapter 2

The blonde entered into the study with a soft knock on the glossy door, warning Bad to his arrival. Bad looked up from the papers that laid sporadically on his desk. He donned an initial look of surprise that morphed into a warm smile as his eyes landed on Dream.

“Oh, Dream! It’s good to see you— I was going to talk to you last night, but I was told you had a headache, and then you and Sapnap left so abruptly...” Bad muttered, scratching the side of his head with the end of his ink pen. His tone radiated genuine concern as he stood to welcome him, motioning with his hand for him to sit in the chair positioned directly in front of his desk. 

Dream moved to sit down immediately, having removed his regular leather jacket to hang on the back of the antique chair. 

“I just needed some rest, I’m feeling better now. No need to worry.” The lie rolled off his tongue. He ignored the guilt that prodded him. He’d been lying a lot more recently. “I’m sorry it’s been so long, I’ve just been so busy with the ranch.” 

Bad’s look of worry softened at Dream’s reassurance, his posture relaxing as he leaned back into his chair, tapping the pen playfully on the desktop.

“I heard... That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised when Sapnap told me you agreed to going to last night’s event. I thought you would’ve made up some excuse.”

Dream shrugged his shoulders, moving his leg to cross over the other. “Sapnap practically forced me to go, he threatened me and everything… It was an interesting experience to say the least—” His train of thought halted, mind consumed by the single image of George. It was time to change the topic of conversation, before he made a fool of himself. “—But that’s enough about me. What’s going on in your world, Bad?”

The light brown-haired boy adjusted his slightly skewed glasses with one hand, rearranging the papers on his desk with another. “Nothing much these days, endless meetings as usual. Skeppy’s meant to be returning from Virginia soon. That’ll be exciting...” Bad’s words trailed off yet again. Light brown eyes squinted into internal reflection.

“What else, what else...?” He mumbled to himself before perking up, a thought having seemingly reminded him of something. “Oh, how could I have forgotten?”

Dream raised an eyebrow in tepid interest, half of his mind captured elsewhere, encouraging Bad to explain his revelation.

“Alex, you know Alex, the lawyer from Mexico. He’s had a friend come over from all the way in England! What was his name...” 

Dream’s mind screamed the mocking name. The name was seemingly inescapable ever since he'd first heard it uttered from those accented lips. His shiftless pose turned taut, like a tightly tuned guitar string, a strum away from snapping.

He had to remind himself of Sapnap’s words of warning from last night. He needed to act casual, consciously forcing his mind to relax from the insinuation of the russet haired boy, his body following suit.

“George I believe was his name? But yes, I spoke briefly to him last night. The accent was quite refreshing—“ Bad babbled on, something Dream was immensely grateful for in his frazzled state. He hadn’t expected for George to have come up in conversation, he had been terribly unprepared. “—Alex invited George and I to lunch tomorrow, down at the country club. It should be interesting to—“ 

“Can I come?”

Fuck. No. Shit. He wasn’t meant to say that. In fact, that was the complete opposite of what he was meant to say. 

Sapnap was going to kill him.

Bad appeared slightly taken aback by the request, the interruption having thrown him off kilter. With a small, kind smile, he tilted his head to the side. Innocently ignorant to Dream’s internal turmoil. 

“...I suppose so, I mean, I don’t see why not. The more the merrier, right?” 

Dream didn’t know whether to feel excited or sick. He felt both. 

“Okay, awesome.” A small cough into his fist and a bright grin easily played off his rigidity, not that Bad would’ve noticed. Trying desperately to ignore his panicking mind, he continued with a laid-back tone. He now strived to push attention from his perculiar sheepishness. “So, Bad. You haven’t yet told me of how little Rat is doing? Where is she?”

Bad instantly perked up at the mention of his dog, his dark eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “Rat! Oh yes, she’s doing great— Yesterday I taught her how to roll ove—“

A hand anxiously combed through his messy golden locks as he exhaled solidly. This had been a close call. He was lucky Bad was his only witness and not someone who was more attentive to the miniscule changes in posture and the cracking fringes of his voice. He continued to feel conflicted over his sudden outburst to ask Bad for an invitation to tomorrows lunch. 

On one hand he would be able to see George again, on the other... His mind cringed at how Sapnap would react to his choices. 

As Bad continued his spew of endearing stories over his much-loved pet, Dream continued to be trapped in his whirlpool of conflict at his own useless infatuation. 

Just as he had predicted, George was dangerous. 

An hour of pleasant conversation passed; Dream having steered it firmly away from the topic of George. By now, Dream had loosened into his seat, an authentic, easy-going smile painted on his lips. He missed talking to Bad, he was effortless company unlike the other, stuck up, wealthy population of inner Dallas. 

“—Wait, is that really the time. Goodness.” Bad suddenly rose in his seat, a look of regret flashing upon his face. “I’m really sorry Dream, I’m going to have to tell you to leave. I just realised I have to go to the city hall with all this paperwork in twenty minutes, I’m really sorry—”

Dream chuckled, entertained by Bad’s gushing apology. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” The blonde dismissed, standing up and stretching his arms out in front of him. “I’ll see you soon, Bad.” He said as he moved to the door, he was stopped in his tracks by Bad’s reply.

“Okay, I’ll see you at the country club, tomorrow 12:30.” 

Dream whipped his head around, his emerald eyes wide as he was reminded of his mistake from earlier. 

“Oh right, about that Bad—"

It was fine, he just had to say he wouldn’t be able to make it, an easy fix. 

But he didn’t want to… 

“—I was wondering whether we could avoid mentioning the fact I work on a ranch,” Bad cocked his eyebrow up in puzzlement. “I just don’t want them to like, look down on me or something. You know how some people are…”

A weighty silence descended upon the room; Dream’s nerves were set ablaze as he waited with bated breath to see whether his excuse was viable. This time it was only a half lie— Bad didn’t need to know that Dream had already mislead George on his ranking in society. 

He knew he was getting himself caught in a cobweb of falsehoods, but he couldn’t stop. George had enraptured his attention and he felt impossibly inclined to do all that was necessary to get to know the English boy. 

If it meant lying, then he hoped it would be worth it.

“I don’t really think Alex and George are ones to judge like that, but I suppose we could. If it’ll make you more comfortable…” 

Relief flooded his bones, his previous terror fading to extinction. “Thanks, Bad.” Dream grinned, the guilt of the lie still latent in his thoughts. Throwing the leather jacket over his shoulder he bid his farewell. “Alright, well I’ll let you get on with your very important work, have fun.”

“See you tomorrow!” Bad called to him, already engrossed in his paperwork as Dream exited the study. 

He walked out of Bad’s familiar town house to reveal himself to the bustling city crowds. The air was thick with heat, something Dream was all too used to from the melting days on the ranch where he’d bared the worst of the glaring sun. By now he’d grown so familiar to the overbearing warmth that it had become a comforting blanket of familiarity. 

He inhaled a lung full of the heavy oxygen before he set off on the arduous journey, back to the remote red sands of the ranch. 

—

It took just over a hour to arrive back at the ranch.

“Sapnap, I’m back.” Dream bellowed into the wood cladded house they called home. The door creaked wearily as he slammed it shut, having received no audible reply from his long-time companion. “Sapnap?” He called again to no avail.

Sighing, he moved into the kitchen, pulling a cup from the shelf and holding it under the tap. Turning the handle, only a few droplets dripped from the shiny metal, the quiet noise taunting his thirst. “Shit.” He muttered, fed up. Slamming the cup on the counter with a clatter, he turned to the stairs, ascending them with a sluggish pace. 

Moving with sudden determination as he reached the landing, he pushed open the door to Sapnap’s room without a single word of warning. 

“What the fuck man?” Sapnap cried, literally jumping up in surprise. He’d been reclining in the wicker armchair beside the window, eyes closed peacefully before the blonde’s abrupt arrival. 

Dream huffed, leaning on the door frame and giving the younger an unapologetic look. “You should’ve answered me when I shouted.” 

“Yeah, well I was relaxing after a long day full of looking after this place—” He waved his hands to refer to the ranch ambiguously. “—while you were off nattering with Bad.”

Green clashed with inky brown, a staring contest having begun. It lasted approximately thirty seconds before Dream broke the duel with a resigned sigh. “Whatever.” 

He couldn’t afford to play these games, especially when he had yet another favour to ask of his friend tomorrow… So instead of overtly apologising, he changed the topic, ignoring Sapnap’s triumphant grin. 

“Me and Bad are going to lunch tomorrow, down the country club with some of his friends.”

“Oh cool, with who?” Despite the question being an obvious response to his statement, Dream cringed, falling silent in response. “Well, do I know them?” Sapnap prompted impatiently, a frown forming from Dream’s prolonged silence.

“Alex and,” Dream hesitated. He already could predict Sapnap’s response. “George.” 

Stillness encompassed the room as the black-haired cowboy froze, his eyes stuck staring widely. The boy’s frown deepened before hisv ery eyes.

“Dream, what did I fucking tell you—”

“I know what you told me, I just want to get to know him, alright? That’s all.” Dream interjected sincerely, his expression weak. 

Sapnap almost growled, he knew his childhood friend better than this. “Yeah but that’s not all is it? You told me you’d forget about him and then the very next day arrange a little lunch party with him—”

“Bad and Alex will be there—”

“And how does that make it any better?” Sapnap cried out, throwing his hands into the air. He took advantage of Dream’s silence to hammer his point into Dream’s mind. “You don’t seem to understand the problem here, in fact there wouldn’t even be a problem if you truly only wanted to be friends. But I know you.” 

Dream folded down onto the bed that was positioned beside Sapnap’s chair, his tan hands running through his fair hair in frustration. “It’s so dumb— believe me I know— but I can’t stop thinking of him.” His voice was clenched, his beating heart strained.

Sapnap massaged the wrinkled skin of his forehead, looking at his friend who had moved to bury his face in his hands.

“What would you do if someone found out. I mean you’ve only met this guy once, how can you even trust him not to be another of those bastards out for blood?”

“I don’t know, okay? It’s just a feeling I get. That he’s a good one.” Dream’s words were muffled by his hands that covered his eyes from the light of the world, and by extension the painful reality.

“God, I was stupid for thinking you’d forget about this English dude, I should’ve known from the look on your face last night…” Redness dusted his hidden cheeks— so he had been obvious with his infatuation. He was lucky Sapnap was the only witness, aside from perhaps George. “It’s a dangerous game, Dream, but you’ve lasted this long without people finding out… Though, it doesn’t stop me feeling worried for you.”

Moving his hands reluctantly, verdant eyes finally revealed themselves to the world again, meeting with charcoal depths. A solemn look of concern was emitted from Sapnap’s gaze, something Dream shied away from. He knew he could handle himself. As Sapnap had said, he had avoided scandal for this long, he wouldn’t let George be his demise. 

“It’s probably just a dumb, short-term infatuation. I’m sure it’ll go away.” Dream reasoned, impelling a reassuring smile onto his lips despite his unsettled mind.

“Whatever you say.” The frown remained on Sapnap’s face.

“It’ll be fine. After tomorrow I’ll be done with him.”

Sapnap let out an airy laugh that made Dream’s smile weaken. “I’ll be nice and not make you hold yourself to that— I know you’ll regret it otherwise.”

The blonde cowboy just rolled his eyes, decidedly standing up and moving towards the door. “Sure, Sapnap.” He drawled.

“Oh Dream, you owe me by the way. I have to look after the ranch two days in a row— so unfair!” Sapnap said in mocking despair, throwing a hand dramatically over his forehead like a fainting woman. Dream couldn't help but chuckle at Sapnap's childish antics.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll give you a day off soon or something.” Dream waved him off absently, turning into his own room and shutting the door. 

He needed a nap. A retributive headache had evolved, probably to teach him a lesson for the terrible scandal he had set himself up to be cornered by. 

If only George knew how much trouble Dream was being put through. He could only hope the risk would be worth the reward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few chapters already prewritten for this story so I hope this was a pleasant surprise :) I was so excited to see so many kind words for my first chapter of this story, I mean I would continue writing it regardless but it really does help motivate me to write faster :D 
> 
> ALSO: for those who want to know about my uni AU, I do plan to update it, I just really don't have the energy to proof read the chapters I've written for it yet (I hate editing my own work) so you'll have to bare with me!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 3.6k words, I didn't mean to write that much. It just kind of happened. Enjoy!

Waking up to Sapnap’s tone deaf singing was the worst sound he could’ve imagined waking up to. 

“Sapnap! Shut up!” Dream shouted from under the duvet, sighing as he buried his head deeper into the cotton depths of his pillow. 

The familiar creaking of his room’s door alerted him to Sapnap’s presence. “What time did you say you were meeting Bad at the club?” 

“12:30.” He replied curtly, his mind too sluggish to provide more than a one-word answer.

Sapnap whistled, the sound somehow telling Dream he had an obvious smile on his lips. “Damn. You better get goin’ then…”

“Why?” The blonde groaned, wishing Sapnap would leave him alone, still only half awake.

“Well for starters, it’s already 11:30.”

Dream practically jumped out of bed, chucking the sheets from over his body and nearly tripping himself up in his sudden, frantic rush. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me—” He half mumbled, half cried. He haphazardly threw open the wooden dresser beside his bed and started flinging different clothing combinations onto the room’s floor.

The younger cowboy shrugged, watching his friend’s panic-stricken moments with unbridled entertainment. “I thought you needed as much beauty sleep as possible. You are meeting George today after all.”

“Oh, shut up, will you?” Dream said, pausing and picking up his most expensive shirt to show Sapnap. “Do you think this one will do? Or is it too try-hard?”

Sapnap chuckled heartily. “Nothing’s too ‘try-hard’ for the fuckin’ country club— it’ll just help you fit in better, if anything.”

“True…” Dream agreed distantly, his darting green eyes already moving to find a suitable pair of trousers to match. Alike his selection of shirts, he didn’t have many ‘fancy’ options to choose from, leaving him to pick the dark brown pair that had belonged to his father. 

When he showed Sapnap, he received an enthusiastic nod of approval.

“Wear the boots from the other night, the Oxford ones, they’ll go well.” Sapnap thought aloud before moving to the doorway to let Dream change in peace. “I’ll be downstairs if ya need me.”

Clumsily, Dream hopped into the trousers, scrunching his nose at the loose, unfamiliar material that brushed against his legs. He much preferred the reliable denim of his usual pair of jeans. Sliding a plain, black belt into the trouser belt hoops and tightening the belt’s silver buckle, his fingers moved with uncoordinated speed. It took only a few seconds to slide his arms into the ivory blouse, careful to avoid movements that would crease the delicate fabric as he methodically buttoned up the front of the shirt. 

Practically having sprinted to the bathroom, he combed his shaking hands through his blonde locks. Anxious emerald stared at his reflection blankly in the smudged mirror. 

“You look fine, you look fine.” The words were whispered under his breath in a self-assuring mantra, trying to steady his panicked breath. Turning the tap, he cupped a handful of water in his hands, splashing it onto his face. “…You’ve got this.”

The heavy, frantic steps of Dream down the rickety wooden stairs cued Sapnap to turn from where he appeared to be feebly washing the dishes. Grinning, Sapnap raised two thumbs up in praise. 

“Looking good!” The black-haired boy said, having noticed Dream’s doubtful frown. 

Sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, he inserted his feet into the boots that had sat discarded by the door. His fingers fumbled as they tied the laces. Stifled, inaudible curses were muttered before he stole a steadying lung full of air. Briefly, he closed his eyes.

“You’re gonna be fine, Dream. Just don’t overthink it, Bad will be there.”

“Yeah, but Bad doesn’t know.”

Sapnap’s smile faltered. “I told you, you should’ve told him by now—”

“Now’s not the time for this discussion, Sapnap.” Dream warned with exasperation.

“Right, sorry.” He replied sheepishly. “Just try act confident. What do the city folk say— Fake it till you make it.”

Dream nodded his head, mind processing Sapnap’s advice. “Act confident… I can do that.”

Dark eyes turned to the clock that hung from above the kitchen sink, widening momentarily upon noticing the time. “Oh shit, you better start heading off now. It’ll probably take you another half hour to get there if you take a horse.”

“Alright,” Dream said with finality as he forced himself to his feet. “See you on the other side.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you the whole time.” Sapnap playfully saluted him, his smile remaining steadfast on his face. Dream attempted to replicate the smile but only succeeded in making a weary expression of unease.

As he left the cooler confines of the house, he became exposed to the heated gaze of the midday sun. Fighting the nauseous anxiety in his stomach, he placed a winning smile upon his lips, running towards the stables. He grabbed the reigns of his horse Patches who had already been saddled up by Sapnap (he would need to thank the younger boy profusely on his return), heaving himself up and onto the steed.

He took a final gulp of air before nudging Patches into motion, galloping towards the bustle of society.

—

The chaos of the morning had left him with little to no time to mentally prepare for the day ahead. But the world continued to turn, regardless of whether he was ready or not. 

He tethered Patches to a water trough that had been placed on a patch of the grassy city commons near the country club. He stroked Patches comfortingly, helping calm his own nerves in the meantime. “Wish me luck.” The blonde whispered before half walking, half running towards the entrance of the club.

He couldn’t let himself be as emotionally exposed as he had, apparently, been on his first meeting with George. It would be impossible to explain a blush as a platonic reaction especially in front of Bad and Alex. The more he worried about it, the more his feet itched to run back to Patches and ride home, pretending he had never agreed to the arrangement.

But there he stood, staring up at the sign inscribed 'Old Parkland Country Club'. 

Ice plants bloomed by the entrance of the country club, the lush magenta stark against the dusty, stone patio. He took a deep inhalation of the heated air before reluctantly passing the flowerbeds, entering the grand entrance.

Just like the party Sapnap had dragged him to, there was an icy atmosphere of affluence that contrasted the safe warmth of the outside world. A calm song of violins played under the gentle chatter of the few people that stood dispersed in the lobby.

The rattling feeling of not belonging slammed into him, his muscles tensing. He prayed his clothes were good enough of a disguise, hiding the fact he did not belong in this opulent establishment which was, obviously, only for the upper echelons of society. Up until this day, Dream was certain he’d never even stepped foot in a country club before. Today was a day for new experiences, apparently. 

Green eyes caught sight of the clock that sat on the wall above the lobby’s desk. It was 12:26, four minutes early. He prayed Bad was already here, scared to be condemned to a fate of awkwardness if he had to wait alone. Reminding himself to keep his hands from receding into his pockets, Bad had told him it was seen as disrespectful by the upper classes, Dream moved towards the desk.

The receptionist smiled up at him, their teeth almost too white. “Is there anything I can help you with, Sir?” Their voice dripped with an oppressive geniality that made Dream unconsciously grate his teeth.

Confidence was key, he reminded himself once more, even if it was a facade. 

He wore a smiling mask.

“Yeah,” Dream said, trying to repress the slight hesitance in his voice through an impersonation of the receptionist’s tone. Frankly he had no idea what he was meant to ask, he just wanted to know if Bad had arrived yet. “I was wondering if you’ve seen my friend arrive—”

“Dream!” Bad’s jubilant interruption made Dream’s head whip around in surprise. “You’re here a few minutes early, I’m impressed.” His heart rate immediately lowered, relief flooding him simply from the sight of his friend.

“Bad, hey!” Dream smiled, genuinely this time, moving to outstretch a hand that Bad immediately grasped and shook. He checked to see if anyone was listening before continuing. “I would’ve been late if not for Sapnap, I woke up late and had to rush. How do I look? Do I look the part?” He jested quietly, theatrically opening his arms to let Bad have a full view of his thrown together ‘rich person’ outfit.

Bad chuckled at Dream’s confession, rolling his eyes. “I suppose all that matters is you made it, though I would say your belt is a bit plain—” The brown-haired male’s critique was hushed by Dream’s raised eyebrow. “Yes, you look fine. It’ll do for now at least.”

“Okay, good.” Dream muttered, smoothing down his shirt with both his palms. “So, what do we do now?” 

“Follow me,” Bad waved for the blonde to accompany him as he walked through the lobby. 

“Do I not have to, like, register or something?”

“No, they recognise you’re with me, silly.”

“Oh right, of course.” Dream replied sarcastically, sighing to himself as they continued through endless corridors. Along the walls were intermittently placed artworks of gorgeous landscapes. There were paintings of a sea voyage, rolling hills of corn, an architectural sketch of Dallas’ skyline- all costing more money than he would ever earn in his life, Dream predicted.

Eventually the pair walked into a small courtyard. It was slightly covered by wooden beams that were decorated with wicker flower baskets that hung and swung gently in the weak breeze. Atop the cobbled stone floor were a few tables and chairs, all of which were vacant to Dream's relief. 

“I thought this was a good place, it’s peaceful and private.” 

Dream hummed in agreement, still gazing at the hanging bouquets of flowers that painted their surroundings with calming splashes of rainbow. He followed Bad to sit down at the circular table in the centre of the courtyard, dragging his attention back to the brown-haired male who had rung the silver bell that had been placed on the table.

Around a few seconds a man appeared from where they had arrived from. “What can I get you?”

“A bottle of Dom Perignon, please, four glasses as well. You can put it on my tab.” The man nodded before swiftly leaving the pair alone again. Dream threw a confused look to Bad who only smiled. “Don’t worry you’ll like it, drinks are on me today.”

“You live in a whole other world…” Dream mumbled inaudibly before shaking his head. “Anyway, I should’ve told you yesterday but—"

His words came to a sudden, unexpected stop when his verdant eyes laid upon the doorway where Alex had just appeared, followed by George. 

George. 

A pale blue shirt, light grey trousers and a blazer that was casually shrugged over his shoulder, hanging from his fingertips. His memory was proven not to have exaggerated his beauty, the man in front of him appearing just as handsome as he had two nights ago. Strikingly pretty, George was someone Dream imagined an artist would sell their soul to paint. He was perfect from the way his hair fell into place to the dimples that formed on his cheeks beside his refined smile.

Evidently, Dream’s infatuation remained fierce.

“Dream? Are you okay?” Bad’s worried utterings went disregarded as Dream wordlessly stood up to greet the arrivals, his mind running on autopilot.

“George—” Dream had to mentally scorn himself for his overly eager tone, forcing himself to dampen its enthusiasm before he continued. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Oh, so you two have met?” Bad questioned, giving a brief, sideways glance towards Dream that once again went ignored.

“Yeah, we spoke briefly at the ball a few nights ago…” George remarked quietly, a civil yet hesitant smile on his face. His chestnut eyes noticeably avoided any long-term eye contact with Dream’s inquisitive depths. 

The attention was then briskly taken away from George and Dream’s first meeting when Alex moved to fall into the chair sat next to Bad, a large, shit eating grin smothering his face. Dream covertly watched as George promptly slid into a chair, placing his blazer over the back of the chair, with the blonde sat on one side of him and Alex on the other.

“Bad, Bad, Bad.” Alex chuckled, stretching his arms out as he relaxed back into the wooden patio chair, moving to rest his legs on top of the table before being swatted away by Bad. “Oh, do I have so much to tell you about! Though I should probably be introduced to this tower of a man first.” The black-haired boy turned to Dream who had only just sunken back into his chair, his expression kind. 

“Well, this is Dream, he works on—” Bad visibly stopped himself, eyes crinkling at his near slip up. “He’s currently helping me with my legal work, an apprentice kind of thing.” He laughed off his stutter, awkwardly adjusting his glasses with a trustful smile.

Alex raised his eyebrows, seemingly innocent to Bad’s slip up. “Sounds cool, you were saying you were stressed with work, makes sense to hire help. Nice to meet you, Dream.” The blonde replied mutely with a polite nod and a civil 'nice to meet you too'. 

A moment later the waiter from before arrived, carrying a silver ice bucket that held a bottle of wine accompanied by a few crystal champagne glasses. He placed the bucket on the centre of the table, lowering his head courteously before disappearing once again.

“Dom Perignon?” George said as he took the extended glass from Bad.

Bad beamed. “Yes! It’s one of my favourites.” He said, pouring the lavish golden liquid into their glasses.

“It’s one of my father’s favourites as well, I recognised the bottle.”

A soft flow of conversation began, aided by the relaxing effects of the alcohol, leaving Dream to fall into the abyss of his fever dream of having George beside him.

For a few enchanting moments, Dream could pretend he too was a part of the upper echelons, pretend he too was deserving of George’s company. It was all too easy to forget about his position of a simple cowboy when he glanced at the foreign aristocrat. 

He was snatched from his elegant fantasy upon taking one sip of the flaxen champagne, immediately crinkling his nose in disgust. It was terribly bitter, almost acidic in taste as it spilled over his tongue. 

It was a biting symbolic reminder of the unsweetened reality.

Dream tried to re-enter the present, pushing through the thick fog clouding his mind. He noticed George listening politely to Bad and Alex’s squabble, arguing over something about Skeppy… George looked lost.

“Hey, George.” The russet haired boy turned towards Dream, appearing privately relieved from being emancipated from having to listen to Bad and Alex’s puzzling bickering. Dream desperately fought the blush that attempted to dance across his face from being at the centre of George’s gorgeous attention. 

“How come you’re here in Dallas, and how do you know Alex?”

“I met Alex when he was visiting London a few years ago, our parents worked together a few times on some legal stuff.” Dream nodded keenly to encourage George to continue. “My father’s a politician back in England, sent me over here to act as a representative ambassador for him of some sorts.”

“And what does ‘some sorts’ entail,” Dream chuckled, tilting his head playfully. 

“Just sitting around Dallas and looking pretty I guess.”

“You’re a good fit for the job then.”

Dream froze at his own words, becoming stock still at his devastating fault. He prayed it would be taken as a witty, jesting comment- something only possible if George ignored the tone of sincerity that had plagued Dream's words. 

The blonde flailed, trying to play off his moment of stagnation and questionable reply, deflecting George’s attention with another question. 

“So, you’ll be here for a while then?”

“For the foreseeable future, yeah.” Dream relaxed at George’s lack of concern over his hinted affections. Perhaps he'd seen the terror within Dream’s eyes after uttering the words and decided to mercifully act ignorant. 

“And have you enjoyed Dallas so far?” Dream said, absentmindedly rocking his half-emptied glass on the table’s surface between his fingers as he tried to calm his peaking heart rate.

“I don’t think I’ve been here long enough to make a balanced judgement; I do hope this place isn’t too much of a bore with stuffy people like London is.”

“I think you’ll find plenty of interesting people and plenty to do, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll be fine.” George smiled with slight endearment, though Dream regarded it as just to be a projection of his mind. Though his pessimism didn’t stop the exhilaration from coursing through Dream’s veins at the sight of George's smile.

“Luckily for us, Georgie here will be here till I’m sick of him- or at least till I kick him out.” Alex interjected with a jeer, giving George one of his large grins that Dream had come to notice to be typical of the lawyer.

“He’s staying with you?” Dream remarked towards George, his joy wilting slightly out of senseless jealousy. 

George hummed in confirmation. “Unfortunately,” he muttered with feigned dejection. Alex cried out from pretend offense, giving George a childish push that made the brown-haired boy roll his eyes.

The topic of conversation was eventually taken elsewhere, with Bad, Alex and George talking about recent business ventures that Dream wearily strived to understand (and ultimately failed). Occasionally, Dream would manage to understand to an amiable level the topic of discussion, making him able to add or comment on one of the trio's observations to assure he wasn't totally left out of the discussion. Though his life on the ranch gave him little insight into the recent movements of the Wall Street stock market. In doing so he had made the group laugh for a total of four times, allowing him to mark today as a success. 

Glasses of liquid gold were filled and emptied, mostly by Bad and Alex. The glossy ice in the silver bucket had been long melted by the ample Dallas sun. With George beside him, it had been a perfect afternoon.

Bad checked his wristwatch, light brown eyes going comically wide at the time. “That’s the time? Oh God. I need to be on my way,” He stood up, buttoning his blazer with practiced motions. “Come on Dream, I have so much paperwork to do it’s ridiculous…” Dream followed suit, sliding his chair under the table after him as he moved to leave. 

“Before you go, I was meaning to ask earlier, but I’ve been invited to another of those masquerade parties. It’d be fun if you guys came?” Dream downcast his gaze at Alex’s request, predicting the invite only extended to Bad. His mind suddenly become rampant with the want to become invisible.

“Is that for Saturday, Schlatt’s manor?” Bad mumbled, as he paused his hurried steps. “He sent me an invite last week, though I hadn’t decided whether I was going to attend. You know how Schlatt is…”

Alex scrunched his mouth to the side, huffing wryly, as he adjusted his navy blazer’s sleeves around his wrists. “Yeah… Doesn’t mean it won’t be a good time, plus the masks will make it so much more interesting than normal, you could even bring Skeppy if you wanted.” 

“I’ll come, though I doubt Skeppy will be back in time..."

“Okay! Awesome. Me and George will see you then.” Alex’s usual grin had returned as he waved Bad away. "It was a pleasure to meet you Dream, hope I see you again soon." Alex said, attention moving to the blonde.

"Yeah, you too." Dream replied, giving a small nod to Alex before bidding his farewell to George with a weighty gaze after hurriedly trying to burn the faultless image of George before him into his mind. Framed by a kaleidoscope of colour from the hanging baskets of flowers, it was another perfect picture of George he could hold onto, a picture he was sure would last a lifetime in his memories. 

Dream had to forcibly tear his eyes from the view, allowing him to finally follow Bad's footsteps into the country club and away from his heart's crux.

Bad walked swiftly ahead of him, Dream trailing far behind. He tried to repress the feeling of disappointment that swallowed him at the thought of not seeing George for the anticipated future. His life seemed pathetically dreary without the excitement of the British boy who consumed his every thought and affection. Since when had his life revolved around George? After only two meetings, George had somehow managed to apprehend his heart and mind. He had taken it hostage, giving no sign of hope or release. Dream felt helpless.

Without noticing, he had become abandoned in the turning corners of the club from his dragging pace, leaving him to squander in his pitiful dismay alone. 

An accented voice stopped him in his despondent tracks.

“Are you coming to Saturday’s party?” Dream turned around, blinking dumbly as mind computed that George stood before him, watching him with an expectant gaze. "You should come." 

Was this a dream, an impossible depiction of his wildest imaginings? George wanted to see him again? He was like a dehydrated man in a desert, delirious and imagining a lush oasis before him. A lifeline of hope. 

Uncertain emerald clashed with ardent, rich chocolate.

“I’m not— I didn’t realise I was invited.” Dream raked his hand through his golden locks. A smirk worked its way onto his lips as he processed George’s request. “But yeah, I can come if you want. I’ll make sure you aren’t too bored, don’t want you to think all us Dallas people are too stuffy, do we?” 

Dream’s smirk was instantly mirrored upon George’s face, evoking his heart to become choked. An uncontrollable wave of infatuation seemed to drown his mind at the beck and call of George, sending Dream into a paralysing state of which he had never experienced before. It was a game of Russian roulette, a rollercoaster of emotions. He was addicted to the gamble. 

“I’ll count on it. See you Saturday, Dream.”

The blonde hooked his fingers under the fabric belt hoops on his trousers, gripping them tightly to ground himself on cloud nine. “Yeah, see you then.” His gaze lingered on George’s retreating back for a few moments longer before he decidedly turned to follow where Bad had rushed off to. His energy was revitalised, heart beating at a tenfold speed.

Dream moved back through the corridors of the country club, past the expensive artistry that went ignored this time by Dream’s enraptured mind. He walked through the lobby with unschooled confidence, heading straight out the door.

Bad suddenly appeared from the left of him, making him jump as he tugged on Dream’s sleeve. His eyebrows were knitted together in a familiar expression of concern. “Dream, what was that? How come you didn’t tell me that you’ve met George—"

Dream knew what he was going to ask, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins made him blissfully detached from Bad’s confusion. The blinding grin on his face was impossibly wide, green eyes luminous with the unexplainable excitement.

“I meant to tell you earlier—look I’ll explain it all soon, I just need to get back to the ranch, Sapnap is waiting for me. See ya, Bad.” He dismissed, already breaking into a sprint in the direction of where he had tethered Patches.

“Dream!—" Bad called after him as he raced away, muttering something under his breath that went unheard by the blonde.

Dream mounted Patches in a single, smooth motion and began to gallop back to the rural outskirts of the city, back to the ranch. His smile remained throughout the whole ride home, founded upon an unfeasible realisation. 

He was inescapably besotted with George.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke my chair writing this, literally. I leaned back and the plastic snapped, my luck is terrible. And since when were desk chairs so expensive?! Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do, I cannot afford to spend £100+ on a chair. On top of that my A levels are cancelled yet they're saying I may still have to do external exams?! Can the UK government make up their mind please, they're so incapable OHMYGOD! Doesn't help george hasn't streamed in a week and his content is literally the only source of enjoyment I have when I have so many essays due. Basically I am not having a fun time! LIFE IS HARD!!
> 
> This has turned into more of a rant than an end note but yeah, I hope you enjoyed, please do tell me if there’s any mistakes!! Comments are so very appreciated (especially when it takes so many hours to write and then edit long chapters like this) :)!! 
> 
> Hope you all have a great day/ night <3!!!


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